San Diego
By a 5-4 vote, the San Diego City Council refused to support the consumer group UCAN in its effort to continue sending its anti-utility-company flyers along with San Diego Gas & Electric’s bills.
For two years, UCAN (Utility Consumers Advisory Network) has criticized SDG&E; and solicited members in flyers sent to all SDG&E; customers with their bills.
On July 8, UCAN will ask the state Public Utilities Commission to let the inserts continue for five years, and it had wanted the City of San Diego’s support. But a majority of the council refused.
“It’s wrong to force somebody to put something in the billing envelope that . . . they don’t agree with,” Councilman Bill Cleator said.
Mayor Roger Hedgecock--who several weeks ago had unsuccessfully tried to put the UCAN item on the council’s consent calendar--argued that UCAN provides much-needed competition for the utility.
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